Who Is The Major League Baseball Commissioner?

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred was unanimously elected by the owners in 2014 to succeed Bud Selig.

Rob Manfred

Rob Manfred was born on September 28, 1965, in Rome, New York. He is an American attorney who is the tenth and current Commissioner of Major League Baseball (MLB). He succeeded Bud Selig on January 25, 2015.

Early life and education

Robert D. Manfred Jr. was born on September 28, 1963, in Rome, New York, to Janet (Gammicchia) and Robert D. Manfred Sr., a high school English teacher and football coach. He has two brothers, Edward and Christopher. His father was of German descent and his mother was of Italian ancestry. He grew up in Rome, where he attended St. Peter’s School, graduating in 1981. He then enrolled at Le Moyne College, from which he graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in economics in 1985.

Legal career

After law school, Manfred joined the prestigious New York law firm of Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP, where he worked in the corporate department on mergers and acquisitions. In 1987, he left Weil Gotshal to join the baseball industry, when he was hired by the Baltimore Orioles as their Vice President of Labor Relations and General Counsel. In 1998, he became the Executive Vice President of Economics and League Affairs for Major League Baseball. In this role, Manfred negotiated two collective bargaining agreements on behalf of the owners; one in 2002 after a devastating strike in 1994-95 canceled the World Series, and another in 2006 that introduced revenue sharing among all teams and instituted stricter drug testing policies.

Manfred’s election as Commissioner

MLB owners elected Rob Manfred as the 10th Commissioner of Major League Baseball on Thursday, succeeding Bud Selig.

Manfred, who has served as Selig’s right-hand man the last decade, was elected on the first ballot with a vote of 26-7 by the owners, who met in Baltimore.

The 63-year-old Manfred, a labor lawyer, was considered the favorite to succeed Selig, 79, who announced in September that he would retire when his term expires Jan. 24.

Manfred’s tenure

Rob Manfred has been the Commissioner of Major League Baseball since January 25, 2015, succeeding Bud Selig. Manfred’s tenure has been marked by efforts to improve pace of play and the league’s relationship with its fans. In 2017, average game time was at a record high of 3 hours, 5 minutes.

Rule changes

In 2015, Manfred presided over a change to the All-Star Game format, in which the game would no longer determine home-field advantage for the World Series; instead, the team with the best record would earn that honor. Manfred has also discussed the possibility of further expanding instant replay review. In 2016, he proposed a rule change eliminating the four-pitch intentional walk, which was subsequently implemented.

In early 2017, Manfred proposed changes to MLB’s collective bargaining agreement with its players union in an effort to “improve pace of play.” The proposal included a 20-second pitch clock and a limitation on visits to the pitcher’s mound by catchers and other players. Players’ union executive director Tony Clark said that while they were willing to have discussions on pace of play issues, they were not interested in changing the rules unilaterally.

Expansion

Major League Baseball Commissioner Rob Manfred was unanimously elected to serve as the 10th Commissioner of Major League Baseball on August 14, 2014 by the 30 Club Owners at Major League Baseball’s quarterly Owners Meetings in Baltimore. Commissioner Manfred succeeded Bud Selig, who had served as the sport’s Chief Executive Officer since September 9, 1992.

Commissioner Manfred, 56, has been with Major League Baseball since 1998, serving as General Counsel since 2005. He has played a leading role in every significant negotiation and legal decision affecting the sport during his 17 years with the Office of the Commissioner. Commissioner Manfred has overseen peacekeeper initiatives involving on-field matters such as pace of game and instant replay, as well as key off-field issues like fan safety, ballpark security and MLB’s expansive charitable endeavors.

Labor relations

The current collective bargaining agreement between MLB and the MLBPA expires on December 1, 2021. If a new agreement is not reached by that date, either party may opt out of the agreement on November 1, 2024. Commissioner Manfred has said that he believes the sides are “on track” to agree to a new CBA before the opt-out date.

Manfred’s legacy

Rob Manfred became the tenth Commissioner of Baseball on January 25, 2015, succeeding Bud Selig. Selig had served as the Chairman and CEO of Major League Baseball (MLB) since 1992. Prior to becoming Commissioner, Manfred served as MLB’s Executive Vice President of Economics and League Affairs. In this role, he was responsible for the negotiation and implementation of the Basic Agreement between MLB and the Major League Baseball Players Association (MLBA).

Popularity

The Major League Baseball Commissioner is the chief executive of Major League Baseball (MLB) and the associated Minor League Baseball (MiLB). The office was created in 1920 with Kenesaw Mountain Landis as the first commissioner. Baseball fans often refer to the commissioner as “the commish”.

The current commissioner is Rob Manfred, who took office on January 25, 2015. He is the tenth person to serve as Commissioner since baseball’s modern era began in 1903. In 1998, baseball owners appointed Bud Selig as interim Commissioner, and he remained in this role until Selig was officially elected as Commissioner in 2000.

In his role as MLB Commissioner, Manfred is responsible for the overall direction and operation of Major League Baseball. He oversees all aspects of the game, including player contracts, compensation, labor relations, drug testing, and operations of MLB stadiums. Additionally, he represents MLB at various functions and events, such as the World Series and All-Star Game.

Controversies

Since his election as commissioner, Manfred has been embroiled in a number of controversies.

In 2015, he came under fire for suspending then-Milwaukee Brewers player Ryan Braun for violating the league’s drug policy. Manfred was heavily criticized for his handling of the situation, with some calling for him to step down as commissioner.

In 2016, Manfred was again criticized, this time for his role in the Houston Astros sign-stealing scandal. Manfred was widely criticized for his handling of the situation, with many calling for harsher punishments for the team and its players.

In 2020, Manfred came under fire for his decision to shorten the baseball season due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Many fans and players were critical of the decision, with some calling for him to be replaced as commissioner.